Safe Harbor
by Veronica Barton
Summary: There is an island, not found on any map. There the worn and weary can find a safe harbor from a world that would love to see them drown.


~ SAFE ~ HARBOR ~ by Lanabana (aka- agentalana)  
  
-Since this is fiction, yeah I own it!  
  
  
  
~~ There is an island, not found on any map. There the worn and weary can find a safe harbor from a world that would love to see them drown. ~~  
  
  
  
"Mom, please don't leave me," Sydney whispered, pleading through her tears.  
  
She cradled her mother's broken body that was leaking warm blood everywhere.  
  
"S-Sy-Sydney, you" Irina struggled to speak.  
  
"Shh, mom don't talk, you have to be still, help will be here soon." In vain, Sydney held on to hope, going into survival mode, attempting to bandage the multiple bullet holes. She played the previous moments over and over in her head, trying to make meaning of the madness.  
  
Frustrated by the lack of supplies and mental clarity, she paused, and dared to look in the eyes of the woman who had just saved her life. In those few seconds, the world seemed to stop, and it was then that the truth finally found her.  
  
Truth had taken its own sweet time, just like her mother had promised. But time was now up and truth had finally arrived for Irina and Sydney. The whole intelligence world would finally know where Irina's TRUE loyalties lie. . . love. And her only product of it. . . Sydney.  
  
Even if the whole world remained ignorant, Sydney would finally see that while hate is a very 'great power', and if 'unprevented' can destroy everything sacred, love is an even greater power and through forgiveness it can heal all that was once destroyed.  
  
The truth was more than Sydney could bear, even in mission mode. Her entire being fell under its weight, she could feel her stomach drop and her shoulders slump, while all of her emotions quickly rushed upwards forcing her brow to crumple and the tears to flow. She was both high and low, felt the defeat of learning the truth too late, yet felt the victory of knowing that her very own mother loved her so much that she was willing to sacrifice her own life to ensure her survival.  
  
Many had died because they had known Sydney Bristow, some victims--others villains. But none had willingly surrendered their own life so that she might live. And the last person she would have ever guessed would even THINK about doing such a selfless act of love was now lying in her arms, breathing her last.  
  
"Mom, I'm so, so, so" angry, she thought, angry that the purest form of love she had ever known was being ripped away from her, yet guilty that she had been so blind, and desperate for more time.  
  
"Mom, please don't leave me, not yet, I need you, I need you here, I love you, mom, can you hear me!?!"  
  
She frantically searched for any remaining signs of life, and sighed a sigh of relief when she saw her mother slightly grin, and leaned in closer to hear her whisper.  
  
"You, were my greatest gift, knowing you were alive, and growing and, well, it kept me going, you were my reason for living."  
  
"Mom, please don't talk like that, you're going to live, help is on its way, please, please!"  
  
"Shh, shh, you know it's kind of ironic," Irina attempted to sooth with a hint of humor in her voice.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I held you in my arms when you entered this world, and now you are holding me as I leave it."  
  
This brought a fresh stream of tears cascading over a watery smile that sparkled as the last rays of the golden sun fell out of sight leaving a brilliantly colored sky that was quickly growing dark.  
  
"This isn't fair"  
  
"Young lady, LIFE is not fair." She replied in mock sternness.  
  
"Now you tell me! Mom, don't joke, I'm serious, just when I have you, you're leaving me again, it's not fair!"  
  
"No it isn't fair. The only gift I ever gave you, was life, and yet I missed so much of it, you'd think it wouldn't hurt knowing I'll miss the rest, but I already miss you."  
  
"I miss you too, mom, I"  
  
"Sydney, listen to me." She began to struggle, fighting for every word, speaking with urgency.  
  
"There is a small computer chip inside me, it has a fireproof shell. I must be cremated,"  
  
"Mom, no, I."  
  
"Shh, there isn't much time, you must retrieve it before anyone else does, do you hear me? It is for your eyes only, it is yours, NO ONE else can see it, it is my final gift to you, you and the ones you love."  
  
"I have nothing to give you, mom, I've failed you."  
  
"No, Sydney, YOU are my gift, and knowing that there is a way for you to escape this life that I have had to lead, to know that you can live, and love, that is my gift, you are my love. . ."  
  
She was fading quickly, and this reality shook Sydney out of her trance- like state, "Mom, mom I love you"  
  
"I love you Sydney, tell Jack I love him and I'm sorry. I love you, love Sydney, love with everything you are, don't let anything stop you, my bushka live and love. . ." And with that she was gone.  
  
And as Irina saw her last, the world became a blanket of comforting darkness speckled with sparkling stars; she could hear the wind gently begin to blow creating a sphere of safety. And as the light left her eyes another fell down upon them, silhouetting Sydney's silky hair, making her look angelic and Irina let out her final sigh of relief for her salvation was at hand.  
  
Sydney hugged her mother's lifeless form and slowly began to rock back and forth to the beat of the helicopter that hovered overhead, shutting out the rest of the world for as long as they would let her. It wasn't long enough.  
  
She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and looked up to see her father, he was kneeling before her tears running down his unshaven face. "She's gone dad, she left us again, she saved me, it would have been me, it should have been me, but she, she, she," uncontrollable sobs took over her entire being, stopping all speech and all thought.  
  
"I know, honey I know."  
  
She could feel the weight being lifted off of her, and bitterly felt the emptiness that was left. Before she could react, she felt her own weary body, swept up and carried away. Resting her head on her savior's shoulders, she didn't look up, she didn't have to, she knew she was in good hands.  
  
"She's gone Vaughn, she saved me."  
  
"I know Syd, I know."  
  
TBC 


End file.
